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Hi I'm Tatiana

I'm a mom of two small boys. I'm also a lawyer. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

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I think that if I had known what I was getting into, I probably wouldn't have made many of the choices I've made in my life. Things have a way of not going how you plan them. But even though I have had challenges, I'm grateful to have had lots of opportunities that have pushed the limits of what I thought I was capable of. When I was not quite 18 years old, I moved from my hometown in Florida to New York City to attend college and study acting. Being on my own like that was a life-changing experience. After graduation, I decided to serve as a missionary for the Church, something I had never before expected to do. I was sent to Santiago, Chile and learned to speak Spanish so I could teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. As my 18-month mission drew to a close, I decided to move to Utah instead of returning to New York. I was accepted to Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School, and began to study law, something else I never thought I'd do. While in law school, I got married and became pregnant with our first child. (I don't recommend that kind of multi-tasking, but it worked out okay for me.) Now I am a mother of two high-energy boys, and I also work part-time as an attorney. I work for a non-profit organization that provides legal services free-of-charge to low-income individuals. As I look back over my life thus far, it hasn't really gone as I imagined it would when I was a little girl. That's okay, though - I wouldn't change a thing.

Why I am a Mormon

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I am a Mormon because I have felt that it is true. Like everyone, I have experienced a huge variety of emotions in my life, but the feelings I have felt in my soul that relate to my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been unique. They are different in kind and intensity from any other emotions. I cannot explain them away. Whenever I learn about Jesus through the scriptures, or when I pray and receive answers to my prayers, or when I participate in Church meetings on Sundays, I feel peace and joy and love that I do not feel elsewhere. I believe that those feelings come from the Holy Spirit.

How I live my faith

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Being a Mormon means being an active participant in church. Throughout my life, I have had several different volunteer assignments in the Church. Currently, once a month, I teach a class for women that meets on Sundays. We discuss sermons that have been given during the previous six months by various Church leaders. I love teaching the class because there are always great comments and discussions. It's great to see how all of us are trying our best to follow Christ's teachings and those of His prophets, and all of us struggle and have challenges, too. Teaching that class makes me feel less alone and more understood and loved and accepted.

Since a new star first appeared above Bethlehem, Christmas has been a season of light, reminding us that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Together, we can celebrate His birth by making the world a brighter place.

Julie Hillyard never thought raising a family would be easy, but she never thought it would be this hard! In this touching account she tells how three kids, a beat-the-odds marriage, and autism bring out the best in her family.